


The Deadliest Secrets are Those in Plain Sight

by bisexualdisastervibes



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Order of the White Lotus, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Red Lotus (Avatar), Red Lotus Korra
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:53:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27195380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bisexualdisastervibes/pseuds/bisexualdisastervibes
Summary: What would happen if the Red Lotus did take Korra that fateful night? What if she wasn't raised with the White Lotus, but the Red Lotus? How would our beloved Avatar change?
Relationships: Ghazan & Ming-Hua (Avatar), Ghazan & Zaheer (Avatar), Ghazan/Ming-Hua (Avatar), Korra & Ming-Hua (Avatar), Korra & P'li (Avatar), Korra & Tenzin (Avatar), Korra & Tonraq (Avatar), Korra & Zaheer (Avatar), Ming-Hua & P'li (Avatar), P'Li & Zaheer (Avatar), P'li/Zaheer (Avatar), Senna/Tonraq (Avatar), Tonraq & Unalaq (Avatar)
Comments: 58
Kudos: 59





	1. The Fateful Night

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first work on AO3 so any criticism is accepted <3  
> Note: in order to make sure the paragraphs were indented, I had to skip a space between each paragraph. If anyone has any advice on how to fix the formatting or if y'all prefer it with the current format, let me know! I want to make sure y'all can easily read it. Enjoy!

The snow lashed around in the darkness of the night. Four cloaked figures trudged through the snow, wind howling. The four stopped and glanced upwards at the tall walls of the White Lotus compound. 

One of the figures bent the wall down, creating a small tunnel to go in. The earthbender gestured towards the other figures. “Go, get the girl. I’ll be here waiting,” he said quietly, careful not to alert the White Lotus sentries. 

The leader nodded and motioned towards the others. The three people crept towards the house where the Avatar slept, careful to not make any noise. One raised up an arm of water, freezing up the lock on the door. The metal quietly creaked and broke the locking mechanism. The door swung open. 

The tallest figure walked in while the other two kept guard. The figure slowly walked over to the bed where the Avatar was sleeping. The woman slowly bent over and picked up the sleeping five year old. Though she would deny it later, she tenderly wrapped the child in a fur blanket to keep her warm. She nodded at the two people standing at the door and walked out with the sleeping child in her arms. 

One of the sentries noticed the shadows slowly creeping along the walls. He frantically grabbed a megaphone in order to sound the alarm. “The Avatar is being taken,” he screamed into the megaphone as the other sentry frantically rang the bell. The group of friends sleeping woke up to screaming and bells ringing. They looked at each other, knowing a fight was imminent. 

One of the men stood up, reaching for a boomerang. “Tonraq, go get your daughter. Zuko, Tenzin, stop the Red Lotus,” he said running out the door.

Zuko shot hot blasts of fire at the fleeing Red Lotus members. The tall figure holding Korra turned around and shot an explosive beam at him. The earthbender next to her folded the earth under Tonraq’s feet, forcing him to fall. Tenzin caught him with airbending, cushioning his fall. The airbender then turned and began sending air blasts towards the Red Lotus members with Korra. The third figure turned around and grabbed Sokka with an arm of water. She flung Sokka across the courtyard and he slammed into the wall. He crumpled to the ground unmoving with a sickening thud. “P’Li, give Zaheer the girl!,” she shouted, bending arms of water at Zuko.

The woman handed the sleeping Avatar to the fourth figure and turned around to continue fighting. P’Li dispersed the flames Zuko shot at her and stopped to send another beam towards him. The earthbender ran from his hidden spot on the wall, bending the ground in front of Tonraq and Zuko to lava. Ming Hua grabbed the sentries from their positions on the wall with her water arms and flung them to the ground. 

“Gazhan, Zaheer has the girl. Grab Ming Hua and let’s disappear,” P’Li said, turning to flee. The remaining Red Lotus members fled with the Avatar. 

Zuko and Tonraq ran over to where Sokka laid motionless against the concrete wall. “Come on Sokka, wake up,” Zuko said shaking him gently. Sokka weakly opened his eyes. 

“Hey jerkbender, please tell my sister I’m sorry,” he said coughing weakly. “I failed her and Aang. I failed the White Lotus. I failed you.” 

The firelord put his hand on Sokka’s face. “You didn’t fail us. We are proud. Aang would be proud too. You did everything you could, like the hero you are,” he said tears in his eyes. 

“Please...make the world better,” Sokka said weakly. “I hope they remember what I’ve done,” he said with a smile. 

“They’ll remember you. You are a hero,” Tenzin said, giving his uncle a teary hug.

“We will make sure of it,” Tonraq solemnly promised. “Thank you for all you’ve done. The world can never repay you,” he said bowing to the dying man.

Sokka gave a weak smile as he coughed. The trio stood in somber silence as Sokka stopped coughing. The tears in their eyes spilled over as he took his last breath. The three men embraced each other in a hug, mourning the loss of one of the greatest men they’ve ever known. 

Miles away, the Red Lotus members got onto their ship. Zaheer placed the sleeping child down gently on a soft cot. Ming Hua and Ghazan looked at the defenseless girl. They would never admit it, but Korra was already worming her way into their hearts. The two left the room, leaving P’Li and Zaheer alone with the girl.

P’Li placed her head on top of Zaheer’s and wrapped her arms around his waist. “We did it babe. We get to create the change we’ve always wanted,” she said tenderly. 

Zaheer smiled. “Yeah, we did,” he said softly. The unspoken question if they were to treat her as their daughter hung in the air, but for now they were content with adding a new member to the Red Lotus family. Eventually, they hoped to add the child to theirs. The two stood in silence watching Korra sleep, already feeling the protectiveness surge up in them. 

Zaheer turned to leave, knowing P’Li needed time alone with Korra. The firebender bent down and sunk onto her knees. “We have you now. We’ll keep you safe my child,” she said lovingly, giving the sleeping girl a soft kiss on the forehead. She then stood up and quietly walked out of the door. They would have to deal with adjusting to the Avatar in the morning. For now, she was happy with adding the girl to the Red Lotus and if they were lucky, adding her to their family.


	2. The Beginning of Something New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra has been taken from her home in the Southern Water Tribe. How will the Red Lotus explain why Korra is with them? How will the young Avatar react to this news?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really need some Beta readers so I can keep these chapters coming out quickly! Once I have written more of the story, I will try and establish a scheduled update time! Please feel free to comment if you're interested in becoming a Beta reader! I will add you on Discord, so please comment your username if interested. Thank you and enjoy <3

The little waterbender opened her eyes to steel walls, confused why she wasn’t in her room. “Mommy, Daddy?” she called out sleepily. Four strangers walked into the room she was asleep in and she started getting nervous. 

The tallest one, a woman with a partially shaved head and a long braid, bent down. “Hi Korra, my name is P’Li,” she said softly. Korra tilted her head confused. She noticed the woman had an extra eye on her head, but she was too afraid to ask what it meant. She gestured to the three people standing behind her. “These are my friends, Ghazan,” a tall man with long hair waved at her. “Ming Hua,” a short woman with jet black hair nodded at her. “And this is Zaheer,” she said gesturing towards the shorter bald man standing next to her. 

“Who are you people? And where’s my Mommy and Daddy?” she called out frightened. The woman held up her hands, trying to show she meant no harm. 

“Your parents know us,” she said softly, trying to calm Korra down. “We’re here to help train you,” she said with a smile. Korra nodded feeling her panic recede as she remembered her parents saying that some Lotus organization was coming to train her. 

“Are you the Lotus Order my parents told me about?” the young Avatar asked. 

The man, Zaheer, next to P’Li bent down and smiled. “You’re smart Korra, yes we are. There are two of us Lotus Orders, the Red Lotus and the White Lotus. We are the Red Lotus.”

Korra looked at him confused. “Why are there two groups?” she asked. 

The second man, Ghazan glanced at the others and said, “Well after the Hundred Year War, the Order of the White Lotus changed. They used to stand for sharing information and focused on all four nations,” he said. 

The second woman, Ming Hua, nodded in agreement. “The White Lotus used to be a secret organization with noble intentions. After revealing themselves to the public, they lost track of their original goal.”

“The White Lotus became a bunch of glorified soldiers,” Zaheer said softly. “The White Lotus used to have very high standards for its members, but after becoming public knowledge, the organization became not so noble,” he explained. 

“Why are you called the Red Lotus then?” Korra asked questioningly. 

“Well the founder of the Red Lotus, Xai Bau, realized the problems with the White Lotus couldn’t be changed. So he created a new group, the Red Lotus. Our goal is similar to the White Lotus: to promote peace and have humans and spirits coexist again,” P’Li said.

Korra nodded and looked around in a panic. “Where’s Naga??” she cried out. A polar bear dog burst through the door and threw itself towards Korra. “There you are,” she cried out with joy, giving the fluffy dog a massive hug. 

Zaheer turned to the others confused. “It must have snuck on,” Ming Hua whispered, careful to make sure Korra didn’t hear her. “Only a polar bear dog could have ran fast enough to keep up with us and make the jump on board. I don’t think the White Lotus could have found us,” she said quietly. The others nodded in agreement. 

“So, are you going to train me?” Korra asked suddenly. The group looked at her, surprised she was so forward but nodded. “Can we start today?” she asked excitedly. 

“Well Korra, we are on a ship right now,” Ghazan paused as he noticed her face drop, “so we can’t do a whole lot of bending but we can try!” he said, determined to cheer her up. “What elements can you bend?” he asked.

Korra counted off her fingers. “I can waterbend! I am okay at earthbending. I can firebend, but I’m not very good at it. I can’t even airbend yet,” she said ashamed. 

Ming Hua placed an arm of water on her shoulder, patting the girl reassuringly. “You’re doing very well Korra. Ghazan can help you with earthbending. Once you are done with him, you can come out with me and we can bend the ocean,” she said, trying to be happy for the girl. P’Li elbowed her and whispered in her ear. Ming Hua’s face grew beet red. “I am not going soft,” she whispered angrily, face reddening even more. 

Korra, oblivious to the silent argument going on in front her, clapped excitedly. “How can we earth bend?” she asked. “There’s no earth on a ship.”

Ghazan grabbed two small rocks out of his pocket. “Here, we’re going to use this,” he said as he tossed her one. Korra grabbed it, determined to show her skills. He smiled at her. “Ready?” The Avatar nodded hyper focused on bending. 

The other Red Lotus members quietly moved to a corner of the room as the lesson went on, interested to see Korra’s skills. “Here let’s start basic, follow me and do the shapes I do,” Ghazan instructed. He bent the earth into a star shape. “Now, you do the same.” Korra easily bent the earth into a star.

Ghazan beamed in pride, determined to make the girl feel comfortable with the Red Lotus. “Good job! Now, let’s try a new shape.” He bent the rock into a circle which Korra was able to easily copy. He nodded in approval and smiled at her. 

“Now, we’re going to try something a bit more challenging,” he said bending the earth into a disc shape with spikes. Korra was able to copy the shape easily. “Now let’s spin it,” Ghazan said. He bent the earth and made it spin until it glowed red with heat. “Now, I used something called lavabending to make it get hot. Can you try it Korra? Don’t be frustrated if you can’t get it.” The Avatar screwed her face in concentration and made the disc spin, but it wouldn’t glow red. “You’re doing very well Korra, you made it spin very fast. Lavabending takes years to learn, and not everyone can do it. You did very good today,” he said gently. She nodded, feeling disappointed even though she knew she shouldn’t be. He patted her on the shoulder. “Korra, go play with Naga for a little bit on deck. I know you two want to have some fun,” he said with a smile. The two took off running.

“I’m impressed, she values herself as less than she is,” Zaheer noted as the group walked towards the meeting room on the ship. The other members nodded in agreement. 

“If I had to take a guess, I would assume it’s due to the White Lotus. They seem to tell her she is less than she is and treat her like a child. Even though she’s a kid, she’s very dedicated,” P’Li said softly. “We can’t push her too much though, she won’t know when to stop.” 

Ming Hua nodded in agreement, standing by the window to keep an eye on Korra. “I’m going to go on deck with her later. We’ll practice some water bending. How do you feel she is Ghazan? I think she should be able to master earthbending within a year or less.”

Ghazan nodded, unfolding the map onto the table. “Yes, she is very dedicated. She has a very good personality for earth bending, she’s stubborn and abrasive. She moves the earth, not the other way around. I don’t think she’ll be a lava bender, but we’ll see,” he said with a shrug. 

P’Li hummed in agreement. “I may teach her some firebending breathing exercises ahead of time. Even if she can’t firebend that well, she can at least learn the basics. Zaheer, you might want to also start teaching her meditation. I have a feeling she’ll struggle.”

“Agreed. We don’t want to push her too hard too quick. We can’t risk her breaking,” he said with a note of concern in his normally monotonous voice. His fingers traced across their planned route in the ocean. “When we get to the Earth Kingdom, we should head towards Gaoling. There’s a swamp full of spiritual energy there, it would be good for her to recognize what it is,” Zaheer said. “It’s in the countryside, no one would look for us there.”

“Fair enough. We can figure out how we’ll head towards the Lotus Caverns in the north,” Ghazan said decisively. The group nodded, agreeing with their current plan. The Avatar played with Naga in the snow on deck, unaware of the catastrophic conflict she had been brought into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to give the caverns Korra was taken to in S3 a name. It bothers me that they were never given an official name, so I'm calling them the Lotus Caverns. Next chapter should be coming within a week or so! I'm doing Nanowrimo, so the writing isn't the issue. It's making sure that the plot is cohesive :)


	3. Understand Failing Does Not Mean that You are a Failure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While experiencing a bad dream about the Spirit World, Korra runs into a hauntingly familiar face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO! I am so sorry for neglecting this fic. I'm putting out this short chapter for now, but expect more frequent updates. I was rereading my old chapters and slightly cringed, I didn't realize how much I've improved since November. Anyways, the writing and updates will be smoother from here on out. Enjoy :D
> 
> A/N: I have not read any other Red Lotus Korra fics and I have no plans to. I don't want to end up copying someone else's idea, but if I do please let me know! I don't want to end up inadvertently copying someone else's work. Comment any feedback y'all want <3

Korra was frozen in fear. She was surrounded by an immense dense forest that seemed to radiate danger into the thick fog that hung in the air, causing her lungs to freeze up in panic. The trees loomed threateningly over the small five year old. 

“Don’t panic,” a soft voice said, radiating kindness in the dismal atmosphere.

Korra looked around for the source of the voice. A tall shape appeared out of the fog and bent down to her level. The shape opened their palm and let a small flame appear.

“Come on now Korra, this is not a friendly place,” they said, holding out a hand to her. 

Korra peered at the man, trying to recognize him. His kind gray eyes and tattoos struck her to her core. Her head suddenly filled with images of people she’s only heard about in stories, such as Toph Beifong, Sokka, and Suki. She even recognized Firelord Zuko, but he had a funny looking ponytail before having his hair pulled up into a regal topknot in the next vision. 

` “Aang,” she said, blue eyes widening in recognition.

He smiled at her. “Hello Korra,” he said, hoisting her up onto his shoulders. 

“What’s this scary place?” she asked, wrapping her little arms around his neck.

“This is the realm of Koh. You were able to somehow subconsciously remember this place. It’s okay if you were afraid, I was scared when I was here too and I was older than you. You’re very brave,” he said warmly, walking into the fog.

The next thing she knew, the threatening gloom faded out of sight to be replaced with comforting trees. The sky was painted with beautiful shades of yellow and orange, green grass covering the entire ground only broken by a red stream and rocks.

Aang sat down under a tree and she scampered off of his shoulders to sit next to him. “This is Xai Bau’s Grove,” he informed her. 

“Why am I here?” she asked, confused. “I thought I was supposed to train with the Lotus people.”

Aang let out a sad sigh. “You were,” he agreed. “The original plan was for you to train with the White Lotus. However, you were taken from that opportunity.” He purposefully left out the fact that she was kidnapped, not wanting to frighten the girl away from him.

“Oh okay! They’re really nice so far, Ming Hua practiced waterbending with me on deck,” she said. She leaned in, eyes shining with excitement. “She said not to tell anyone, but she let me play with her! She bent the water into a ball and we played catch. She seems tough but she’s also really nice. I really like her water arms, they’re really cool.”

Aang smiled, the rambling reminding him of his own children when they were her age. “That does sound pretty cool. I’m glad they’re treating you right.” His eyes turned to look at her with a serious gaze. “Korra, you have to keep in touch with me and your other past lives. The Red Lotus may be decent teachers, but only time will tell. If you are ever in danger or feel unsafe with them, let me know. We can protect you,” he said, pressing a reassuring kiss to his forehead, mimicking what he did to help his kids feel protected.

She nodded. “You’re really nice. I like you,” she said with a grin.

“I like you too Korra. You’re a lot of fun and really brave,” he said with a smile. 

He stood up, cascading robes projecting an air of authority. “Do you want me to teach you a little bit of airbending?” he asked.

“I can’t even airbend,” she admitted with shame.

“That’s okay Korra. This is more of a philosophy anyways. If possible, always try to resolve an issue without force. Listening to others is a surprisingly good way to learn about the world. Remember to not take revenge for it will harm you as well. By meditating, I can show you what the monks taught me,” he said with a smile.

Korra nodded and folded her body into the lotus position he took up. He gently guided her through the process, seemingly with infinite patience. She stood up, young but intelligent mind memorizing all he taught her. 

“Thank you,” she said, bowing to him.

“Thank you for allowing me to teach you. Understand that you are never alone. You have all of us Avatar Korra,” he said with a smile, bowing back to her.

  
  


Korra opened her eyes with a smile. She had some reservations about the Red Lotus but they’ve been nice so far. She makes herself a silent promise to trust her instincts and do the right thing, no matter the cost. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt that it made sense to tie in Aang and her past lives. I know she isn't as spiritually inclined in the show, however soon a crucial argument between her and the Red Lotus will help y'all understand why this had to happen. I believe that her past lives will do their best to comfort her, especially Aang, but know they can't directly influence the events without a threat of harm against Korra. It seems odd, but they're doing their best to protect her. 
> 
> Please comment any suggestions or ideas y'all have! 
> 
> Instagram: @bidisastervibes


	4. Family is not Simply Blood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Red Lotus makes their way to Gaoling. While traveling, Korra asks P'Li about her third eye and her past. What happens when the group goes and eats at a restaurant?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to showcase a fun dynamic between Ming-Hua and P'Li. I feel like they have a relationship where they constantly tease and insult each other, but are fantastic friends and would murder anyone who says otherwise. Also, featuring mama bear P'Li :)
> 
> Enjoy! :D

P’li picked Korra up, ignoring the five year old’s protests. “I could have gotten up here by myself!” she huffed.

The firebender chuckled, adjusting Korra in the saddle on the ostrich horse. “I know you could, but I may as well help you.” 

The girl huffed and crossed her arms while P’Li swung herself on top of the ostrich horse. “Is everyone ready to go?” she asked, picking up the reins. 

Zaheer smiled at her, gray hair flowing in the gentle breeze. “We’re coming.”

Ghazan kicked his ostrich horse in the side gently, spurring the animal to go. He led the group, being the most familiar with this area. He had spent years traveling around the Earth Kingdom before joining the Red Lotus, allowing him to know each area like the back of his hand.

Korra looked up at the tall woman sitting behind her. “Why do you have three eyes?” she asked, head tilted in confusion.

“My third eye is a tattoo,” she said with a chuckle. “I have the ability to do something called combustionbending. Not many people can do it, I only know of one other.”

“How did you learn?”

P’Li froze, looking at the innocent child sitting in front of her. “Well, when I was little, I showed signs of being a combustionbender. A warlord noticed that I had this ability and made me become his assassin.”   
  


“What’s an assassin? I’ve heard Mommy say that some of those people come after Firelord Zuko, but they never told me what it was.”

“An assassin is someone who kills people,” she said, sadness creeping into her voice. “I didn’t want to kill people, but he forced me to. It was essentially my job to take down people he deemed necessary, such as political opponents.”

To her surprise, the young girl threw her arms around her in a hug. “I’m sorry they did that to you,” she said, tears in her eyes.

“Oh Korra, it’s okay my child,” she said, running a hand through her hair. “Zaheer freed me from that cruel man and we fell in love. That’s why we joined the Red Lotus: to prevent other people from going through what we did.”

The small girl nodded and laid back in her arms. “I’m sleepy,” she said with a yawn.

P’Li smiled. “You can sleep on me if you want. I’ll wake you up before too long, I want you to be able to sleep tonight.”

She nodded and let out another yawn before closing her blue eyes. P’Li smiled, feeling a surge of love and protectiveness surge up in her as she watched the girl sleep in her arms. 

“Ah, who would think that the Avatar would be the reason the cruel, cold-hearted assassin P’Li would smile?” Ming-Hua called out from behind her.

P’Li turned around, glaring at the other woman’s smirk. “She’s cute as fuck and you know it. The reason you smile is because of a certain muscular tattooed earthbender,” she said, quietly to make sure Ghazan didn’t hear her. She let out a sharp laugh at the other woman’s face erupting into a violent red blush.

After about two hours, she gently shook the sleeping Avatar awake. “Hey Korra sweetie, we’re getting close.”

She blinked her eyes sleepily. “Where are we going?”

“We are going to Gaoling. They have a lot of inns and are fairly remote. Not many people come through there,” Ghazan called from his ostrich horse. 

She nodded, sitting up in the saddle a little bit more. She peppered P’Li with questions about combustionbending as they rode into town. P’Li answered all of the questions with a small smile, feeling her love for the girl grow with each enthusiastic question. It was nice to meet someone who was interested in combustionbending as a bending skill, not a tool to kill people. 

The group hopped off of their animals, P’Li placing Korra on her shoulders.She let out a laugh and wrapped her short arms around her neck. Zaheer smiled at the sight and reached out a hand. P’Li slipped her hand into his, squeezing it gently as a silent declaration of love.

The group followed Ghazan to one of the many inns in the town. The earthbender opened the door to reveal a cozy inn. The place was draped with furs and hides of many animals, including fox antelopes, gopher bears, hogs and even a platypus bear. There were several plush couches and chairs placed around a fire roaring in the lobby. 

Ghazan returned from the innkeeper with a smile. “Okay, so we have a room. Do you guys want to eat in here or go out?”

“Let’s go out and enjoy a meal,” Ming-Hua said. “It’s been forever since we sat down and ate in a public restaurant. I miss it.”

“Alright, follow me. There’s a fantastic place near here called the Happy Wolfbat,” he said excitedly. “They have the  _ best _ braised turtle-duck! It just melts in your mouth.”

Zaheer let out a small laugh and followed the earthbender enthusiastically rambling about the food at the restaurant. The group of five walked into the restaurant and sat in the corner, keeping a careful eye out for White Lotus sentries or law enforcement wanting to hunt them down. 

Korra looked at the menu in confusion. “I don’t know what these foods are,” she admitted with a hint of embarrassment in her voice. 

Ming-Hua tapped her reassuringly on the shoulder with an arm of water. “It’s okay, I didn’t know what to order at my first Earth Kingdom restaurant as well. I’m getting the xiaolongbao. It’s a dumpling filled with hot soup. You can try some of mine if you like,” she said, shedding her normally cold persona. It was rare for Ming-Hua to open up to others, and even harder for her to open up to children.

“I want to try the bean curd puffs and jook,” Korra said.

“That sounds good, but those are typically more like sides. If you want, you can have some tofu. It’s soybean in small pieces and fried into puffs,” Zaheer said.

She nodded and told the waiter her order when he came to the table. The Red Lotus members all relaxed and began talking about random things. They all fell in love with the girl who asked whatever was on her mind and told her to keep asking questions. 

They were so relaxed they didn’t notice the waiter walk into the restaurant office and pull out a piece of paper. He quickly smoothed the paper flat with paperweights and dipped a brush in ink. He quickly wrote out his message before allowing the ink to dry. He then rolled the paper up into a scroll and attached it to a messenger hawk. 

Meanwhile, the group finished up their meal and headed back to the inn. They all walked into the room, happy to see that there were four beds. Typically, they preferred to stay in the same room as they traveled in case someone attacked them in the night. 

P’Li set her bag on the bed and sat down with a sigh. “I’m so exhausted,” she said, throwing herself back. 

“Then go to sleep you dumbass,” Ming-Hua said from across the room. P’Li grabbed a pillow and threw it at her. “You bitch!” she screamed playfully, grabbing a pillow to hit P’Li.

Ghazan stood off to the side laughing at the women before being hit in the back of the head. He turned around to see Korra smirking, holding another pillow. He let out a playful roar and grabbed a pillow to hit her with.

Before long, Zaheer joined in with a war cry. The normally stoic members of the Red Lotus were engaged in an all out pillow fight to see who the victor would be. Korra was able to claim victory, blue eyes shining with excitement. Everyone began laughing and pulled the girl into a tight hug. Korra closed her eyes, feeling the love surround her.

* * *

“Firelord Zuko! There is a messenger hawk here,” a sentry called, running into the compound headquarters. 

The older man looked up from the map that he was consulting. “Let me see,” he said, taking the hawk from the sentry with an appreciative nod. 

Tenzin and Tonraq looked at him, noticing the look of shock on his face. “Is everything okay Uncle Zuko?” Tenzin asked. 

“It’s…” He let out a sigh. “Here, you have to read it for yourself.”

_ Dear Firelord Zuko or whoever receives this within the White Lotus, _

_ My name is Poshu. I am a waiter from Gaoling but I have connections to your group due to my brother, Shila. He was recently initiated into the group and serves as a sentry. I heard that Avatar Korra had been kidnapped by the Red Lotus group. I had seen their descriptions on wanted posters before since Gaoling is remote and some criminals like to stay in a remote town like this, so we have to be aware.  _

_ I was going about my shift when I saw a familiar group come in. The Red Lotus members were here with Korra. She is not hurt, I subtly checked as I served their food. In fact, she seems to be happy. They were having casual conversation and answering any questions she had, from what their favorite animal was to how old they were when they began bending.  _

_ I wanted to inform you of her location and health. Based off of the interaction I saw, Korra does not seem to be in immediate harm. In fact, they seem to care for her. Either way, I believe that you are all entitled to this information. I hope that Korra is guided by the spirits to do what is best for the world. _

_ May the spirits be with you, _

_ Poshu _

Tonraq looked up in shock. “She’s….she’s alive?” he said, voice cracking with hope. For the past few weeks, he and Senna had spent many sleepless nights worried about her daughter and her fate. 

Tenzin pulled him into a hug. “We’ll find her. Don’t worry Tonraq.” 

Zuko let out a sigh, running his hand down his face. “Thankfully, she’s okay. I will talk with my advisors. We may be able to keep an eye out for Korra as we conduct our patrols or military training. If we see her, we’ll do our best to rescue her and bring her back home,” he said, placing a hand on the shoulder of each man. 

Tonraq nodded. “I have faith in the spirits and the universe. Korra will come back to us. Whenever she does, we will be here for her.” 

The trio sat in silence, absorbing the new information and the implications of it. No matter what, they would bring Korra home. The question is, how soon can they bring her back? How long would they have to go without the Avatar?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed! Feel free to comment any suggestions, they make me so happy and I do my best to incorporate them into the story. My plans for this fic is for Korra to realize she is closer with the Red Lotus than her own family, hence the foreshadowing ;) Much love babes <3
> 
> Instagram: @bidisastervibes


	5. Strength in Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ming-Hua, Ghazan, and P'Li have a surprisingly soft conversation about nightmares. P'Li teaches Korra how to braid and she spends the rest of the day traveling with Zaheer, sleeping on him and braiding his hair. They realize how strong Korra's abilities are and reassure her that she is a person worthy of love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my loves! I think I have finally figured out a posting schedule. I will post a new chapter every Thursday for this fic! :D Sometimes, I get a lot of inspiration, so more chapters may come out on other days at random times, but there will be a new chapter at least every Thursday. I'm glad y'all are enjoying this story <3

The next day, the group set out towards the Foggy Swamp. To no one’s surprise, P’Li was the first to wake up, something about rising with the sun. Next, a groggy Zaheer was woken up when Korra launched herself at him, rambling about a vivid dream involving a flying ostrich horse, an egg custard tart, and a dragon who was actually a bird in disguise. 

“How was your beauty sleep?” P’Li asked with a chuckle as Ghazan and Ming-Hua walked into the lobby.

Ghazan glared at her. “This bitch kept me up all night,” he said, shoving Ming-Hua’s side.

“You’re the one who offered to help me deal with the nightmares,” she pointed out. 

“If you need us, don’t be afraid to ask,” the tall firebender said, placing a reassuring hand on her friend’s shoulder. 

The cold waterbender let out a small laugh. “Thank you,” she said, voice slightly wavering and revealing the emotion behind the statement.

P’Li simply nodded, knowing the other woman wasn’t great with expressing emotions. She went outside and loaded up the ostrich horse with her bags.

Korra walked up to her side, gently pulling on her sleeve. “Can you teach me to do your hair like that?” she asked, gesturing at her braid.

She smiled. “Of course my child,” she said with a smile. She looked at Ghazan and jerked her head, making him come over. 

“Alright, so you take a big strand of hair and then run two fingers through it,” she said, grabbing a large section of Ghazan’s hair. She then ran two fingers through his long black hair. “Then, you’ll have three smaller sections. You cross the sections over each other like this,” she said, braiding his hair slowly so Korra could see. 

“I want to practice on Zaheer!” she said excitedly.

“I’m sure he’ll let you if you ask,” she said with a chuckle.

Ghazan turned to her as she scampered off to find Zaheer. “You really love her already,” he noted.

She nodded. “It’s hard not to,” she said, throat closing up with emotion. She was scared to admit it to herself, but the more time she spent with Korra, the more she fell in love with the girl.

He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I think she’ll grow to love you too.”

* * *

Zaheer turned around and laughed quietly. Ming-Hua was leaning precariously far forward in her saddle and had somehow managed to fall asleep. He caught his girlfriend’s eyes and gestured at the sleeping waterbender. She let out a laugh and rolled her eyes at the sight.

“I like your hair,” Korra said from where she was perched on his head. “It’s really soft.”

“Thank you,” he said with a smile. She had insisted on sitting on his shoulders so she could braid his hair and he was more than happy to oblige.

“Are you a bender?” she asked, managing to make a surprisingly neat braid considering she had just learned to braid hair.

“No, but I know a lot about airbenders,” he said. 

“That’s so cool! Mommy’s a nonbender,” she said. “She is much smaller than him, but she manages to make Daddy get scared, so nonbenders are really cool. Oh, airbenders are cool too! I had Aang visit me in my dreams,” she said, admiring her braids in his hair.

“Wait, you spoke with Avatar Aang?”

“Yeah! He taught me some meditation stuff and basic airbending forms, even if I can’t airbend. He’s really nice! He helped me get away from this scary place called the realm of Koh,” she said, unaware that the three awake Red Lotus members were gazing at her in awe. 

“He took me to this really pretty place. It was named after the Red Lotus guy, Xai Bau!” she said excitedly. “The yellow and orange sky was really pretty.”

“He took you to Xai Bau’s Grove?” Zaheer asked. “It took me a year of meditation to discover that place. I’m surprised he chose to lead you there.”

“Yeah! Oh, can you go there too? That’s so cool!” she said, bright blue eyes shining with excitement. 

“Yes, I can go into the Spirit World like you,” he said, adjusting the reins on the ostrich horse.

“What’s the Spirit World?” the Avatar asked.

Zaheer hesitated before answering. “Well, do you know about the spirits?” 

At her nod, he continued. “So the Spirit World is basically their home. Their world and our world are really closely tied together. They’re like two sides of a sandwich. You are the Avatar, which basically means you’re the sandwich filling. You connect the two sides together,” he said, trying to use analogies that would make sense to a five year old. “Since you’re the sandwich filling, that means that you’re one of the few people who can go into the Spirit World. Not many people can go.”

“Oh okay! So how come you can go into the Spirit World then?” 

“Well, I’m spiritually enlightened. It means that I am really spiritual and if I meditate long enough, I can project my soul to the Spirit World,” he said.

Korra let out a little yawn. “We should go together, that would be fun.”

“Maybe when you’re older. We want to make sure we’ll be safe,” he said gently. “You sound tired, rest.”

She tightened her arms around his neck and put her head on top of his. Before long, she had fallen asleep on top of him. He looked at P’Li, who was absolutely melting at the site. The two shared a soft smile, feeling their love for her grow. They were only supposed to be her teachers, but the Avatar had a special way of making people fall in love with her and make them never want to leave. Even cold hearted criminals would melt for the soft girl who tried to make friends with everyone she met. 

“She is so damn cute, I don’t understand,” Ghazan said, voice full of disbelief. 

Ming-Hua woke up. “Wait wha-” She stopped talking when she saw Korra asleep on Zaheer, the latter looking like a soft father already. “Okay, that’s it. She’s too cute. It’s bad for our images as badass criminals.”

P’Li rolled her eyes at her friend’s comments. “Stop being a dumbass,” she said, dodging to avoid the stream of water she sent her way to slap her. The firebender stuck her tongue out in retaliation.

“Children. My family is made up of children,” Ghazan said in disbelief.

“So you do admit it, you do like us! You called us family,” P’Li said in a sing-song voice.

Zaheer laughed. “What’s the plan next? I know we’re heading to the swamp, but where do you want to go after that?”

Ghazan twirled the braid in his hair while his eyebrows furrowed in thought. “Well, we could head west to the Cave of Two Lovers or go east to Full Moon Bay and go through Ba Sing Se. It’s whatever you guys want to do.”

“I’d like to go through Ba Sing Se. It’s so crowded they won’t notice us,” P’Li said.

“Then we have to deal with seeing that idiotic palace,” Ming-Hua said, voice full of disgust. “Plus, we’re more likely to be recognized in a big city.”

“It’s probably safer to go to Ba Sing Se. It’s a big city, so no one should look at us too closely. Plus, we should trade these ostrich horses out for something faster. Ba Sing Se is the best place to go for that,” Zaheer said.

Ghazan looked down at the polar bear dog following him. “Well, maybe we can make some kind of trade at the swamp. If we end up not needing to, we should avoid Ba Sing Se. It’s a risk, but it may be one we need to take.”

Everyone murmured agreement and cooed over the sleeping girl. Korra subconsciously buried herself against Zaheer, using him as a pillow. He didn’t mind one bit, he actually enjoyed making the young girl happy.

After about an hour of casual conversation, he gently shook Korra awake. “Hey sleepy,” he said with a smile.

“Hi,” she said with a yawn. “Where are we going next?”

“We’re going to the Foggy Swamp. It’s a place full of spiritual energy, it’s important to know if you can recognize that energy or not. It’s okay if you can’t,” he said, noticing the crestfallen look on her face at his words, “But if you can that’s okay too.”

She let out a sigh of relief. “At the White Lotus, they constantly expected me to know stuff. It was really confusing and no one explained anything to me.” 

Ming-Hua placed a watery arm on her shoulder from her ostrich horse. “It’s okay Korra. If you want to talk with us, we’re here for you. We like you a lot, you’re really cool, brave, and strong.”

“Really?” she asked, looking up with a smile on her face.

“Of course!” Ghazan called from out front. “You’re the coolest person here by far.”

She ducked her head in embarrassment, cheeks glowing red. She felt much more comfortable in her days with the Red Lotus than her years with the White Lotus. 

She looked up as they approached the edge of the swamp. “It’s really strong here,” she said, arms still hung around Zaheer’s neck. “It’s like the energy in Xai Bau’s Grove, but stronger.”

“I feel it too,” he commented. “I’m proud of you for being able to sense the energy here Korra. You did a good job,” he said, smiling when he saw the little girl beam with pride.

The group ventured into the swamp, guards raised. They were able to stumble across the reclusive swamp benders without any issue. Unfortunately, the tribe didn’t have what they were looking for, forcing them to travel west to Omashu.

The sun was setting as they walked into the city. Exhausted, the group walked into the first inn they saw. The innkeeper was kind and understanding, taking the ostrich horses and money without conversation after confirming the price with them. 

The room only had two beds this time, so Zaheer and P’li shared one bed, Ghazan and Ming-Hua the other. Zaheer and P’Li laid out on the bed and Korra jumped up on the bed. 

“Can I sleep with you?” she asked nervously. 

“Of course you can,” Zaheer said, pulling her towards them. 

Korra laid down between the couple and buried herself into the sheets. She quickly fell asleep, exhausted from the day of intense traveling and relaxing in the safety of the two adults.

Zaheer pressed his forehead against P’Li’s while they watched the sleeping girl, feeling the love grow in their chests. “Love you,” he murmured gently while he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. 

“Love you too,” she replied with a smile, wrapping an arm around her boyfriend, bringing him in closer. They quickly followed Korra to sleep, feeling their love for the small girl grow with every second. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh no, it sure would be a shame if Korra ran into a familar face at Ba Sing Se and realized she's growing to love the Red Lotus family more than her old White Lotus family... ;) 
> 
> Comment any suggestions or ideas y'all have! Much love <3
> 
> Instagram: @bidisastervibes


	6. Ghosts of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> P'Li has flashbacks from her past, but Ghazan is there to help her. After a stressful night, the group decides to take a day off and explore Omashu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I felt like Ghazan and P'Li need more interaction, so enjoy :D
> 
> I'll be diving into the Red Lotus backstories. The show didn't give us much, so this is all random ideas I had. Sorry for the short chapter, calc has been kicking my ass. Like damn, math SUCKS. Anyways, enjoy <3

P’Li jolted awake, heart thumping with fear. She was able to get out of bed and collapsed onto the floor. She let out a small whimper and curled up into a ball.

_ The smell of burning flesh invaded her nostrils. She stood there, watching as the building went up in flames. She wasn’t here to just kill whatever fucking politician it was this time, no that’s not enough. Yamo wouldn’t be so kind. Over the last few years, her missions had gotten more and more complex. _

_ This time, she was supposed to assassinate this politician and burn the town hall he was in. Wreck their government, break their spirit, burn it all to the ground. It was getting tiresome. She couldn’t say no though. She tried once and has the scar to prove it.  _

She flinched as she registered a hand landing on her shoulder. She looked up to see Ghazan peering at her in concern. 

Instead of asking what was wrong, he just held his hands out in silent permission. At her nod, he wrapped her into a hug. He put his head on top of hers, gently murmuring encouragement as she sobbed.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked, rubbing a hand up and down her back. 

“Yeah,” she replied. 

Ghazan sighed. “Was it about that ass Yamo again?”

“Yeah. It’s been years but he still haunts my dreams. It makes me feel weak. I’ve been trained to be better,” she admitted, letting more tears roll down her face.

“Alright, bullshit,” he snorted. He gently squeezed her and held her tighter as he talked. “He controlled your life for years P’Li. It may have made you apathetic but that’s okay. It’s okay to be as emotional as you want.”

He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. “You fought back and killed his ass. Karma’s a bitch. I know I couldn’t have made it if I was in your situation. You’re strong as fuck, even if you don’t recognize it.”

“Thank you,” she said, eyes watering. 

Ghazan simply smiled and held her tighter to his tattooed chest. “You know, you remind me of Gyen,” he said softly.

P’Li looked at him in confusion. “Who’s that?” she asked. 

“She was my sister. She was about ten when she...when she got killed.” He let out a sigh and ran a hand down his face.

“She was my rock. Mom got sick a lot and my father was out of the picture. Killed by the Crown for stealing in Ba Sing Se. He and a few other men had to resort to stealing because they couldn’t afford food. They were caught and executed to make an example,” he said, shaking his head. 

“I basically raised Gyen. My mother did her best, but she broke after my father died. Her constant illness didn’t help either.” The normally stoic earthbender wiped some tears from his face.

“Shit,” P’Li said. “”I’m so sorry you lost her.”

“Yeah,” he said, letting out a sigh. “She died because she caught something from my mother. The Crown could have done something, but they sat on their asses and didn’t do anything. They had distributed medicine to people in Ba Sing Se, even going so far as to give some to the Lower Ring citizens. But they didn’t give a shit about any of the towns that were actually impacted by this disease. Ba Sing Se only had a few people sick while only a quarter of my town survived that damn plague.”

He turned to look at her, sadness in his eyes. “I’ve never forgiven them and have no plans to. They stole Gyen from me. But…” 

“I can’t blame you,” she replied, holding his hand. “If you need to, say the word and I’ll blow that bitch’s head off.”

He let out a laugh. “Thanks for the offer.”

They chatted about random things for a while to get their minds off the pain of the past. Tonight had been painful enough. 

“You know, you’re my family now,” Ghazan said softly. “You, Zaheer, Ming-Hua, hell even Korra. I thought I’d never find family again but I did.”

P’Li tightened her arms around him. “I never thought I’d have a family, but here we are,” she said with a smile. 

The two kept talking until they were exhausted. Eventually, they fell asleep without realizing it. 

Zaheer and Ming-Hua woke up and smiled at the sleeping Avatar before realizing their beds were significantly lighter than they should have been. They turned and saw P’Li wrapped up in Ghazan’s arms, his head on top of hers.

“It looks like her nightmares came back,” Ming-Hua said softly.

“Yeah, they’ve been getting worse,” he agreed with a sigh. “I wish I could help her more.”

“You’ve done a lot for her and me,” she admitted. “You’ve helped this family a lot more than you realize.”

He smiled and ran his fingers through Korra’s hair. “Let’s give them the day to rest. They need it.”

Ming-Hua smiled. “I’m not opposed to the idea.”

Before long, the sleeping duo on the floor woke up to an empty room. They stood up and stretched. P’Li walked over to Korra and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

“Good morning,” Zaheer said as he burst through the door, holding a bag of food.

Ming-Hua walked over and stood next to P’Li as she gently ran a hand of water down Korra’s face. “Morning sleepy.”

Korra blinked at her and yawned. “Morning.”

“Come on, we got some food,” Zaheer said. 

The group dug into the food with glee. Everyone began laughing at Korra’s ridiculous dreams.

“I was in a very weird world! Food ate people!” she exclaimed. 

“I once had a dream where Ming-Hua was pretty. That was a nightmare,” P’Li said dryly. She didn’t even try to dodge the arm of water bent her way to slap her upside the head. The firebender stuck her tongue out in retaliation. 

“When I was little I had this recurring dream that I could fly,” Zaheer said. 

“Maybe it’ll come true one day!” Korra said.

He let out a chuckle. “Maybe, but my hopes aren’t high.”

The rest of the day was spent exploring the city of Omashu. P’Li smiled, feeling her heart warm at the sight of Korra excitedly chattering away from the top of Ghazan’s shoulders. Before long, the sun went down and the group went back to the inn. After a nice dinner, they all went to sleep, feeling the love in the room warm them up. 

This time, Korra decided to sleep between Ghazan and Ming-Hua. The waterbender smiled at the girl and told her bedtime stories from the Southern Water Tribe. Ghazan told her some stories from the Earth Kingdom and before long, P’Li chimed in. Eventually, one story turned into twenty and they all fell asleep, images of warriors and mythical creatures running through their minds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ghazan: alright, you my sister now. We are family, shut up and let me compliment you and tell you what you deserve to hear.  
> P'Li: no u  
> Ghazan: shit, can't argue with that
> 
> Next chapter will be full of surprises as they travel to Ba Sing Se. What happens when they run into *familiar* faces? :O
> 
> Comment any ideas or suggestions! I love hearing from y'all! Much love <3
> 
> Instagram: @bidisastervibes


	7. Family is Something You Choose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> P'Li and Zaheer learn about the White Lotus closing in on their location. P'Li and Korra go shopping in Omashu when they run into someone who decides to harass P'Li. Naga and Korra make him think twice. Zaheer, Ghazan, and Ming-Hua talk about their next move and play Pai Sho. Korra makes a shocking choice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really hope y'all enjoy this long, long, LONG chapter. Yes, it ran away from me but DAMN I love the direction it took. I had so much fun writing this, so enjoy and comment ideas :D 
> 
> Sorry for the slightly awkward chapter breaks. It was necessary to make it less confusing. I also gave Ming-Hua a backstory in the Earth Kingdom. Her name is more like the Earth Kingdom names than Water Tribe, which makes me think she was born/abandoned by parent(s) in the Earth Kingdom. 
> 
> Also, enjoy chaotic Zaheer and Ghazan playing Pai Sho. It is...something else

The next morning, P’Li woke up first and walked down to the inn lobby. She noticed a short woman with black hair humming to herself as she dusted the room. P’Li flashed a smile at the woman as she walked over her. 

“Good morning dear, my name is Leiso and I’m the innkeeper here. What can I do for you?” she asked, continuing to dust while talking. 

“Good morning. My friends and I wanted to exchange our ostrich horses for some faster animals. Do you know of a place in Omashu that may have some?” the firebender asked.

She let out a sigh, walking over to an incense holder on the front desk. “Well, you don’t really have a lot of options in Omashu. We used to have an animal breeder but he got run out a few years back. Kept rambling about overthrowing government systems and creating chaos.”

Leiso placed a stick of incense in the holder and lit it between her fingers while P’Li let out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah, the guy was a bit of a nutcase but he was okay enough. King Bumi was a very prominent figure in the White Lotus, so when this guy kept insulting the group…”

She shook her head. “Well, you can imagine what happened next.”

P’Li shrugged her shoulders. “That happens when you’re a dumbass,” she said with a snort.

Leiso laughed. “Too true,” she said. Her face suddenly screwed in concentration as she turned to look at the taller firebender. “What’s that tattoo on your forehead for?”

P’Li froze. Her heart hammered, she didn’t know how to respond. “Well uh…”

“A warlord made her do it,” Zaheer said, sliding up to wrap an arm around her waist. “Sorry for cutting in, I was looking for you. I woke up and you were gone.”

She pressed a soft kiss to his forehead. “My bad babe. I just wanted to ask about animal breeders for transportation. I figured I was up so might as well ask.”

“Fair enough.” He turned to look at Leiso. “Well, I heard you ask about her tattoo so I cut in since a tad ah... _ personal _ . When she was little, a warlord took her and forced her to get it.”

“I hope the bastard got what came to him,” she said in shock. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that dear.”

“Yeah, he did,” she said. “He got everything he deserved and more.” 

Zaheer laced his fingers through hers. “Come on, the kid is up and she’s wondering where you are.”

“Aww, you two have a kid?” she asked, picking up a pile of mail to sift through. 

P’Li and Zaheer froze. “Kind of?” she said, confused herself. 

“We uh…” Zaheer’s voice trailed off as he thought. “We adopted her. We’re not sure if she really sees us as parents yet, so.”

Leiso smiled at them. “I’m sure she’ll see you two as her parents. I was adopted when I was little. It was fun to be a firebender in a city suppressed during the war, but thankfully my parents helped me understand they didn’t have an issue with  _ me _ specifically, but what was done to them.”

“I never saw my parents as anything other than that. I’m sure she’ll feel the same,” she said. 

P’Li nodded in gratitude. “Thank you for everything.”

“Of course dear. If you or your family needs anything, you just let me know!” Leiso replied, frowning at a letter she received. 

“What’s wrong?” Zaheer asked.

“Ah, just some news from the White Lotus. Apparently they’re looking for an earthbender master for the Avatar, so her father and some others are coming in. They should be here in a few days, maybe less. I wish they gave me more of a heads up, I would have prepared some Water Tribe food,” she grumbled.

Zaheer let out a nervous laugh. “Well, I’m sure they’ll appreciate anything you make. Come on, let’s go see the kid,” he said, squeezing her hand tighter. 

“Alright,” she said with a forced smile.

The two walked back to the room. Ming-Hua and Ghazan looked up as the two walked in, faces twisted in concern.

Korra was oblivious to the tension in the room. “P’Li!” she said, launching herself at the two. 

The firebender bent down and catched her in mid-air as Korra jumped. “Good morning,” she said, spinning her around with a laugh. 

“I had a really cool dream last night! I talked with Aang again, he’s really nice,” she said, blue eyes shining with excitement.

“He taught me about waterbending and how he and Katara learned from a scroll they stole from pirates! And how the Northern Water Tribe was sexist and didn’t let her learn anything other than healing,” she said with a pout. “Thankfully, she beat him up and showed him otherwise!”

“Yeah,” Ming-Hua said from where she was laying on the bed. “I’ve heard stories about how they were sexist as fuck.” She let out a scowl as Ghazan threw a pillow at her for cursing. 

“Wait, you didn’t grow up in a tribe?” Korra asked, confused.

“Yeah. I grew up in a little town near Chin Village. I was abandoned on the orphanage doorstep, so I don’t even know if I’m Northern or Southern. I learned how to waterbend when I was little to make up for not having arms,” she said.

“Woah, so you’re like Toph!” Korra exclaimed. “She uses her earthbending to see and learned how to adapt and use it to see. She learned from badgermoles but you just learned it by yourself. That’s so cool!”

“Wait, how do you know that?” Ghazan asked.

“I just know things sometimes. I think it may be because of Aang, but I don’t know. Sometimes I have flashbacks to memories that aren’t mine,” she explained.

“Huh, I didn’t know that about her,” the waterbender said. “I guess you’re right then Korra.”

“Hey Korra, want to go shopping and spend some time with just us?” P’Li asked. 

“Yeah!” she said excitedly. She held her hands out, silently asking P’Li to put her on her shoulders. The tall woman bent down and let her climb on.

“Ready to go?” she asked. At Korra’s happy nod, she walked out of the room.

She walked into the lobby, happily bouncing the small girl on her shoulders. She nodded at Leiso as she walked by.

“Oh my spirits, you two are so cute!” she said, gushing over the two. “You’re such a cute mother-daughter duo.”

Korra blushed and buried her head into P’Li’s braid. The firebender smiled in silent thanks before walking outside. At Korra’s insistence, they swung by the stables behind the inn to get Naga.

“What do you want to get?” she asked, keeping an eye on their surroundings as the polar bear dog trotted alongside them. 

“Let’s get a jacket for Ming-Hua! I’ve seen how she hides behind Ghazan when we go out. I think she gets insecure about her arms,” she commented, showing keen observation for only being five.

“Good idea kiddo.” P’Li stopped at a shop advertising pet goods, picking up some toys and treats for Naga. The two walked through the streets of Omashu, excitedly talking and laughing.

“It’s been a while. Do you want to get some lunch?” she asked.

“Yeah!” Korra responded. P’Li bent down, letting the girl climb off her back. She would have just set her down, but she was holding their groceries.

“Hey freak!” someone called.

P’Li froze, knowing they were talking to her. She looked up as a tall man crossed the street to face her.

“Why do you have that tattoo? You know it’s the same one that was used by that creepy assassin that came after Avatar Aang. Everyone with common sense knows it’s a shitty thing,” he said with a sneer. “Not to mention, it makes you look like a fucking failed experiment.”

“Shut the fuck up!” a small voice yelled. 

P’Li looked down in shock as Korra stood there with balled fists. “You’re a big meanie! You don’t get to say things like that about people. She was forced to get it by a really bad warlord. She’s also really talented and she’s really nice. So, shut the fuck up!” she yelled, face turning red with anger. Naga stood next to her, growling threateningly.

“Alright, Korra that’s enough,” she said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. “Come on, these guys aren’t worth our time.”

“Not worth your time?” he asked, face twisted in outrage. “Who do you think you are? I’m Gala, one of the best fighters in this city!”

“And I’m the Avatar, so shut the fuck up!” Korra yelled, bending a small rock to hit him in the shin.

“Korra,” P’Li said, shaking her head in amusement. 

“Aww, gonna let a little kid fight for you? One that thinks she’s the Avatar? Amusing,” Gala said, voice laced with venom.

Korra growled, letting her hands burst into flame. “Say that again you bitch,” she growled, bending a rock to hover in front of him threateningly. Naga’s fur rose on her neck as she flashed her fangs.

His face paled at the sight of a five year old with fiery fists and an angry polar bear dog. “Hey, what the fuck! Alright, you two freaks have fun,” he said, waving his hand before walking off.

P’Li sighed and picked Korra up, quickly walking away from the scene she caused. The firebender just picked up some food from one of the carts.

“Come on, let’s get back to the inn,” she said softly.

Korra sniffed. “Are you mad at me?”

“What? No, I’m not mad at you Korra,” she said. 

“I did bad things though…”

“We’re human beings. We’ll make mistakes, it’s okay.” P’Li opened the door to the inn, placing the groceries on the floor. Naga curled up on the floor next to the groceries, content to just lay on the floor. 

Korra scampered off her shoulders and looked at her with sadness as P’Li placed the food on the table. “I’m sorry for getting mad.”

She gently held the small hand on the table. “It’s not your fault, he said some mean things.”

“Yeah! I didn’t like that,” she said with a frown. “He shouldn’t say things like that.”

“Unfortunately, people do. Especially to me,” P’Li said.

“Why?”

“There’s only one other person who’s been a combustionbender like me. He was an assassin who was hired to kill Avatar Aang. Once word about him got out, people associated my tattoo with him. So sometimes people see me as a freak or bad guy,” she explained.

“That’s stupid. You’re a combustionbender, if they knew that it’d be okay,” Korra said, munching on her food.

“Maybe. Thank you for sticking up for me Korra,” she said softly.

“I wanted to. You guys are much nicer than the White Lotus people. And you guys don’t treat me meanly,” the Avatar said.

  
  


She smiled and the two continued chatting as they ate. P’Li pet Naga before picking up the groceries, the dog thumping her tail happily. She walked behind Korra, the girl excitedly chattering about how pretty Ming-Hua’s hair was. As they opened the door to the room, P’Li just realized she didn’t correct Leiso when she called them a mother-daughter duo. And Korra didn’t deny it either.

* * *

Ghazan waited until the door shut to begin speaking. “Okay, what the fuck is going on? Don’t lie and say nothing, I know P’Li took Korra out for a reason.”

Zaheer let out a sigh. “We were talking with the innkeeper Leiso. There’s a big problem coming our way. She got a letter from the White Lotus. Korra’s father and a few others are coming in to look for an earthbending master for her.”

“Which basically means they’re searching for Korra but can’t admit that they lost the Avatar,” Ming-Hua noted. 

He let out a solemn nod. “They’re supposed to be here in a few days or less. We have to leave tomorrow, maybe tonight.”

Ghazan ran a hand down his face, noticing the stubble on his face. “Well, I think we should stay. I’m sure P’Li went out to get supplies with Korra, so we’ll be fine there. Might as well enjoy our last day in a bed for a while,” he said, making a mental note to shave.

“There’s another problem too. There is no animal breeder in Omashu or anything. We’ll have to stick with the ostrich horses,” he said.

“Wait,” Ming-Hua said, eyebrows furrowing in thought. “You said her father and a few others were coming right?” At his nod, her face lit up. “Shit, maybe Unalaq is with him.”

“Yeah maybe,” the earthbender said. “But I don’t trust him. Before we took Korra, he was supposed to meet up with us. My informant said that he was working with Firelord Zuko. My informant heard them discussing a plan to create a prison cold enough to stop P’Li from being able to bend. I think he was planning to betray us, but then had to cover his ass. I mean, he betrayed his brother, so it wouldn't be out of character for him.”

Ming-Hua’s eyes widened in shock. “Shit, I wish we could know more about your informant. I mean, I get it that we can’t risk exposing them, but  _ fuck _ I’m conflicted,” she said. 

Zaheer had a grim expression on his face. “That bastard was going to betray us,” he said with a low growl. “We need to cut him out. We can’t risk him turning Korra back over to them. No one fucks with our family.”

The other two nodded in agreement. Zaheer pulled a map of the Earth Kingdom out of his bag.

“Where should we go next?” he asked, looking at Ghazan.

“We should go up to the Si Wong Desert,” he said immediately. “They won’t think to look for us there. They would assume we would go through the Kolau Mountains and not risk the desert.”

“As long as I have enough water for my arms, I’m game,” Ming-Hua said. “I actually know of some sandbenders in the area so we may be able to get some transportation. We can meet up with them in the Misty Palms Oasis.”

“Sounds good to me. We just need to wait for them to get back,” Zaheer said. “Ghazan, you down for some Pai Sho?”

The earthbender smiled. “Yeah, sure. Just prepare to lose,” he said, grabbing the board.

Ming-Hua settled herself against a thick stack of pillows. Zaheer and Ghazan were both weirdly good at Pai Sho and had this intense rivalry that amused her to no end. One eventful evening ended up in two broken noses, a story she and P’Li still haven’t let them live down. 

* * *

“You bitch!” Ghazan screeched.

“Fight me then,” Zaheer replied, raising up his fists. 

Ming-Hua looked up and burst out laughing. P’Li stood there with a disappointed expression, arms crossed as she glared at the two. Even better, Korra had adopted the same pose. The men looked up to see why she was laughing, both having the decency to flush red in embarrassment. 

“You two are children,” she said dryly, setting the groceries on the bed. She looked up to see both men sticking their tongue out at her and burst out laughing.

“Yeah, you two are worse than that one bitch,” Korra said.

Ghazan laughed. “Damn, Korra you swear like a sailor.”

“Where do you think I got it from?” she replied dryly. “Besides, the guy was being mean and deserved it. I should have let Naga bite him.”

“What happened?” the waterbender asked as Korra climbed into her lap. She let out a small smile as the girl wrapped her arms around her, putting her head against her chest.

P’Li smiled at the sight of Korra cuddling Ming-Hua. She took a deep breath before answering. “Well, some guy tried to be all tough and started harassing me over my tattoo. You know, the standard stuff. Korra stood up to him and cursed him out. She even threatened him. Let me tell you, seeing a grown man cower before a growling polar bear dog and a kid with flaming fists was an amazing sight to see,” she said with a chuckle.

“Nicely done,” Zaheer said, causing Korra to blush in embarrassment.

“Oh yeah, we’re heading out tomorrow,” Ghazan said, walking over to begin packing the groceries up.

“Where are we going next?” Korra asked. 

“We’re going to the Si Wong Desert,” Zaheer said. “Hope you aren’t bored of traveling yet.”

“I actually like traveling. Before you guys picked me up, I was stuck in the compound. The adults were talking when they thought I was asleep but…” 

Ming-Hua wrapped her water arms around her into a hug as the girl’s eyes filled with tears. “But they said they would keep me in. It was too dangerous to let me out. I would be stuck at the compound,” she said, voice breaking.

“We won’t do that to you,” P’Li promised, placing a kiss on her forehead. “I know how it feels to have your life chosen for you and….and it’s not a fun feeling.”

Korra nodded, letting out a yawn. “I’m sleepy,” she said. 

“Come on, let’s get ready for bed,” Zaheer said, handing her pajamas. 

Korra quickly showered and changed, coming out with her hair wet. “Can you braid my hair?” she asked, looking at P’Li.

Her heart warmed. “Yeah sure, let me get ready first,” she said, grabbing her own sleepwear as well. After a fast shower, she got dressed and pressed a quick kiss to Zaheer’s cheek as he walked in after her. 

She sat down on the bed, Korra climbing into her lap. She carefully controlled the flame within her, letting her hands warm. She gently ran her warm hands through the girl’s hair, the water evaporating as her hair dried.

“Ghazan and I are going to grab some last minute supplies,” Zaheer said. “We’ll be back soon. Do you want to come?” he asked, looking at the waterbender laying on the bed. 

“Fuck no. I’m not going anywhere, I’m comfy,” she said with a grin. 

Ghazan shook his head in amusement and the two men left. She watched P’Li braid Korra’s hair, smiling at the clear love on P’Li’s face.  _ I’m glad she has Korra now. That ass Yamo stole everything from her...maybe now she can grow the family she never had as a kid. _

P’Li gently braided her hair, making sure to keep her hands warm. Korra had been through a lot today and deserved to unwind, especially after standing up for others. She hummed a random song she memorized from her time under Yamo, the girl relaxing under her touch. She finished off the braid and hugged her tightly.

Korra let out a sleepy yawn. “Goodnight Mommy,” she said, half asleep and unaware she had spoken the second word out loud. 

P’Li froze and Korra looked up in embarrassment, realizing what she said. “I’m-I’m sorry I-”

P’Li cut her off with a kiss to her forehead. “If you want to call me Mom you can dear,” she said softly. “I can’t replace your actual mom but…”

“Okay,” the small girl said softly. “Goodnight Mom.”

“Goodnight kiddo,” she said, watching as the girl snuggled up against her. She couldn’t stop the wide grin from taking over her face as Korra fell asleep in her arms.

“Fuck that was cute,” Ming-Hua said. 

“Yeah,” she agreed, watching the girl sleep in her arms. “Yeah, it was.”

Zaheer and Ghazan quietly opened the door, looking at P’Li’s wide smile. 

“What happened?” Zaheer asked. P’Li had been smiling more since Korra had joined their family, but it was rare for her to smile this widely.

“She called me Mom,” she said, tears of joy in her eyes.

Ghazan and Zaheer looked at her in stunned silence.

“It’s true,” Ming-Hua piped up from her bed. “She was half asleep when she said it. Once she realized what she said, she got all flustered and embarrassed. Then, the fearsome assassin P’Li turned into a big sappy baby. It was adorable.”

“I’m so happy for you,” Zaheer said, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. He changed into his pajamas and quietly slid in bed, trying not to wake up Korra still asleep in P’Li’s arms. 

The girl rolled over with a groan. “Dad?” she asked, voice bleary with sleep. 

He looked at her in stunned silence. “Do...do you want to call me Dad?” he asked.

She blushed. “If...if that’s okay with you.” 

“Of course it is,” he said softly. “Goodnight dear.”

“Goodnight Daddy,” she said, burrowing between the two and quickly falling back asleep. 

“Alright, we have parents now!” Ghazan said with amusement. “Congratulations on the quick and painless birth and extreme rapid growth of your P’Li.” He flinched as Ming-Hua slapped him upside the head with water.

She rolled her eyes. “Get to sleep Ghazan. We need to leave early tomorrow,” she said, watching the girl sleep in her arms. 

Zaheer looked at her. “Should we...should we tell her the truth?” he asked.

“About why she’s with us?” she asked, making sure this is what he was referring to. 

He hesitantly nodded. “I just...I feel horrible for lying to her like this. I just…”

She placed a hand on his face, smiling as he leaned into her hand. “We can tell her in the morning. If she wants to leave and go back to White Lotus...we have to let her. She deserves to choose,” he said softly. 

She nodded. It would hurt if Korra chose the White Lotus over them but it was something she needed to pick for herself. If they didn’t let her choose, they would be no better than the White Lotus. Tomorrow would be a confusing mix of emotions and tearful confessions. For now, P’Li and Zaheer pressed their foreheads together and watched Korra sleep in their arms, content to soak in the love of this family they’ve created. They just hoped it would be strong enough to endure. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear...this chapter WAS supposed to be short. Yet, here we are, 3685 words later. What do y'all think Korra will choose? Go back to her old life or stay in this new one? Let me know what y'all want to happen next! Psst: I will be letting y'all vote on stuff for the fic on my Instagram. Be sure to check it out so y'all can vote on what happens in certain scenes!
> 
> I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. Much love babes <3
> 
> also, in case it isn't obvious: I fucking HATE Unalaq >:) 
> 
> Here's some more info about my headcanon over P'Li's tattoo! I believe once people discovered about Combustion Man, they associated that tattoo with evil and bad shit. P'Li was forced to get it by Yamo (the warlord that didn't have a name in canon so I fixed that) forced her to be his assassin. As a result, she gets a lot of attention if someone notices it. Korra thinks the hate is stupid and doesn't understand why people view it so badly. If I end up making her a combustionbender, she will get the tattoo because of the stereotype. She hates people associating P'Li with evil, so she's like "hey what if I got that tattoo too and forced people to associate positive things with it?" Her plan partially works.
> 
> Instagram: @bidisastervibes


	8. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> P'Li and Zaheer tell Korra the truth: she was kidnapped. What will Korra do? How will the White Lotus react to her decision?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY THIS CHAPTER CAME OUT ON FRIDAY!! I started writing it late, so that's my fault. Tell me what y'all think and enjoy this monstrosity of a chapter :D
> 
> Please be sure to read the end notes! I really want to hear what y'all want in the next few chapters and what storyline would be fun to see. Be sure to comment if you have any ideas <3

P’Li woke up, anxiety settling over her like a dark cloud. She looked at Korra, the girl curled up in Zaheer’s arms. She let out a soft smile at the sight, committing the scene to memory. The faint smell of incense that permeated the air in the inn, the shadows cast over the scar in Zaheer’s eyebrow, Korra’s chest softly rising and falling with sleep. She may lose it all today, but it was a risk she had to take. Yamo took away all of her choices when she was little, she would die before she let the same thing happen to Korra.

She stood up and walked to the bathroom, splashing water on her face. She gripped the counter with white knuckles, trying to hold herself together when she felt like bursting at the seams. 

She flinched at the hand that landed on her shoulder. “Are you okay?” Ghazan asked, looking at her with concern.

“Not really. Everything might fall apart today…” She let out a shaky sigh, tears gathering in her eyes. “Zaheer and I made a decision last night. We’re telling Korra the truth and giving her the choice if she wants to stay. If we don’t tell her...are we any better than them? Are we better than Yamo?”

He simply pulled her into a hug, running a reassuring hand up and down her back. “You two made the decision, now it’s up to her,” he said softly. “No matter what, you still have me, Zaheer and Ming-Hua. We aren’t leaving you.”

She let out a nod, squeezing her arms tighter around him. If she started talking, she would begin crying so she just silently gave thanks. He knew her, squeezing back as a silent response.

Ming-Hua walked in with a yawn. “What’s going on?” she asked, noting their faces with concern.

“I’ll go get breakfast,” Ghazan said. At their nod, he quickly left the room. 

“Do you want me to do your hair?” P’Li asked. At the other woman’s nod, she reached for her hairbrush and began gently detangling the knots.

“We’re telling her the truth,” she said simply.

“If you don’t, you’re no better than the White Lotus or Yamo,” Ming-Hua replied. At her surprised face, she let out a chuckle. “I know you. I’d be an idiot to not realize how similar this is to your past. I-” 

She let out a sigh. P’Li remained silent as she grabbed the top section of her hair, gently twisting the black hair into a bun. “I was abandoned when I was a kid. An armless kid was more of a burden than normal, so to the orphanage I went,” she said with a dry laugh as P’Li secured her hair using the metal pins she was fond of.

“I was never considered for adoption, so I grew up around constantly changing faces. I learned how to pick up on how someone’s feeling from a young age, it comes in handy when other little shits come for your share of food because you have no arms. I had to learn to defend myself, but now I use those skills to defend you. You’re my family, I’ll be damned if I let something happen that I can prevent,” she said, gray eyes meeting amber in the mirror.

P’Li smiled, eyes filling with tears of joy. “Thank you,” she said, voice showing all of the emotion and weight behind the two simple words.

Ming-Hua responded with an equally solemn nod. “Come on, let’s wake them up.”

The women walked out, smiling at the sight of a half asleep Zaheer letting Korra brush his hair with Naga curled up at the foot of the bed. She looked up from her task, letting out a big smile when she saw the women.

“Good morning!” the Avatar said, eyes shining with excitement.

“Morning Korra,” P’Li said with a smile.

“How did you sleep?” the shorter woman asked, sitting on the bed opposite Zaheer and Korra.

“I slept really good! I had this really cool dream about this guy named Guru Pathik. He kept offering me this gross onion-banana juice though. I think he had six arms at one point and Appa had a sword,” she said.

“That sounds like a really cool dream,” Zaheer replied. 

Ghazan walked in with breakfast, quickly glancing at Zaheer and P’Li. He raised an eyebrow, questioning if they were going to tell Korra the truth. At the nods he received, he set the food down.

“Korra, we have something to tell you,” P’Li said. “We...we haven’t been entirely honest with you.”

Korra looked at her questioningly, Naga walking up to curl up next to the girl. The polar bear dog placed her snout in her lap, seeming to understand something serious was about to happen.

“You were supposed to train with the White Lotus. Your uncle, Unalaq contacted us. He wanted us to kidnap you so we could train you instead,” Ghazan said.

“We...we realized we were becoming what we swore to destroy,” Ming-Hua said with a dry laugh.

“We wanted to give you the choices the White Lotus wouldn’t. Ironically, we also took away your decision on where to train,” Zaheer said. “We wanted to give you a choice. Your father is coming to Omashu to look for you and he’ll be here in a few days. You can go back with him or you can come with us.”

“Why are you letting me choose?” Korra asked. 

“I didn’t get a choice when I was younger. I told you about Yamo, the warlord that made me his personal assassin. He stole me from my childhood and destroyed everything I ever knew. I would rather die than let that happen to you,” P’Li said, eyes shining with unshed tears.

“Why do you care about me? I’m just...Korra. Yeah, I’m the Avatar but I’m useless. I always mess up and I just...I’m not worth it. You guys are trying to do good, I’d just screw it up like normal,” she said, looking at the ground.

“We care about you  _ because _ you are Korra. We don’t care if you’re the Avatar, a nonbender, or if you mess shit up. We care about you because you’re such an incredible person. You stood up for me when most would just sit to the side. You always tell us the best stories and you constantly impress us, whether it’s with braiding or that spiritual stuff you do in your sleep,” P’Li said.

“If you want to stay with us, we won’t take your choice away. Any time you want to go, you can leave. We won’t force you to stay,” Zaheer said.

“We all had a fucked up childhood. We probably aren’t the best people to raise a kid. I mean, we’re criminals. We care about you a lot Korra, and we’ll do what  _ you _ want,” Ghazan said.

“You….you mean it?” she asked, tears rolling down her face.

“Of course we do,” P’Li said softly. “We will let you make your choices. You deserve to have a say in your destiny.”

To her surprise, Korra flung herself into her arms. “Please, please don’t leave me Mommy,” she sobbed.

P’Li held her tight. “We won’t leave you,” she reassured her, gently pressing a kiss to her forehead. “We won’t ever abandon you, even if you choose to leave. You’re our family and family looks out for each other.”

Korra sniffed, looking up at Zaheer. “Can...can you come here Dad?” she asked, voice trembling as if she was afraid of rejection.

“Of course,” he said softly. Korra extended her arms out, silently begging for a hug. He picked her up, wrapping her in a tight hug.

“I’ve got you kid,” he said. “We’ll protect you.”

Korra let out a sob. “I...I didn’t think I would find a family. My old parents and the White Lotus...they weren’t my family. They saw me as the Avatar not Korra. You...you see me as Korra,” she said, crying into his shoulder.

“We love you Korra. We will always love you, nothing you do will change that,” he said, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. 

P’Li stood up, gently placing a hand on Korra’s head. “We aren’t your biological parents but...we still want to be your parents if you’ll let us.”

The young girl nodded. “Please,” she said softly. 

P’Li wrapped her arms around Korra, gently pressing Korra between her new parents. She smiled, finally feeling something in her heart click. 

“Can you be Auntie and Uncle?” she asked, looking at Ghazan and Ming-Hua.

“If you want me to be your aunt, I’ll be the best fucking aunt ever,” she said with a smile.

“I’d be more than happy to be your uncle,” the earthbender said.

“Come here, I want a full family hug,” she said, voice trembling with emotion.

Ghazan and Ming-Hua walked over. Korra smiled at the feeling of three solid sets of arms and a watery set of arms around her. “I love you,” she said softly.

“We love you too,” Ming-Hua replied, speaking for everyone. 

They all stood together, soaking in the pure love surrounding the group. Ming-Hua reluctantly broke the hug first, lowering her watery arms.

“We should probably get going,” Ghazan said, breaking away from the hug as well.

Zaheer hummed in agreement. “We’re going to head to Ba Sing Se. We’re going to go through the Si Wong Desert though, so we want to get going.”

Korra nodded. “Can I ride with you Mom?” she asked.

She smiled, picking Korra up. “Of course dear,” she said, heart warming at the sensation of Korra’s trust in her.

The group and Naga walked out to the inn lobby, going up to Leiso with a smile.

“How much do we owe you for these five days?” P’Li asked.

“Oh, that’ll be twenty gold pieces,” she said. “I know it’s a bit much, but groceries are getting more expensive in Omashu.”

“Honestly, you deserve more,” the firebender said. “You’ve been a fantastic hostess.”

Leiso blushed, ducking her head at the praise. “Ah, you flatter me too much.”

“Mom, can we come back sometime? I really like it here,” Korra said with a happy hum.

She smiled. “We’ll see what happens Korra, but if the spirits permit, we’ll be back.”

“I’m happy for you,” Leiso said. 

“Thank you for everything,” she said, folding her hands into the traditional Fire Nation greeting.

Leiso responded by quickly bowing as well. “It’s always my pleasure. May the spirits bless your travels,” she said, waving goodbye as the group left. 

They stopped at the stables, picking up the ostrich horses. They all quickly packed their bags and hopped on. 

“Alright, we pretty much just head northeast,” Ghazan said from the front of the line. “The Misty Palms Oasis is on the edge of the Si Wong Desert, we should arrive there within a few days, maybe a week max.”

“Sounds good to me,” Zaheer said.

Korra hummed in agreement. “Can we practice more waterbending tonight Aunt Ming-Hua?” she asked. “I want to master waterbending.”

“You’re really good already, it won’t be long before you become a master. You impress me with your bending, you pick up on new skills quickly,” she said with pride.

Korra smiled, feeling the praise settle in her heart. She knew she made the right choice by staying with the Red Lotus. They made her feel safe and comfortable, and they promised to always let her make her own decisions. They were her family and she wanted to stay with them as long as possible.

* * *

Tonraq let out a heavy sigh as they finally reached Omashu. Korra had been missing for weeks, every passing day increasing his fear for her. 

His brother shot him a reassuring glance. “We’ll find her,” he said.

Tenzin nodded. “I’m sure she’s safe. In the letter, it sounded like they were treating her okay. I just hope she can return soon,” the airbender said, hopping off the ostrich horse they rode in on. They had a steamship waiting for them on the coast, making sure they carefully searched every town possible. 

Tonraq walked into the inn, exhaustion weighing him down. A short woman with black hair greeted them with a smile.

“Hello! My name is Leiso,” she said. “We just had a group leave this morning, so there are two extra rooms open if you need it. I’m not sure how long you’re planning on staying.”

“Ah, not too long,” Unalaq said. “We’re just here to look for a suitable earthbending master.”

“Ah, I know someone who may be able to help,” she said, quickly turning to go behind the counter. “He’s one of the best fighters in the city!”

A tall man followed her out. “My name is Gala,” he said with a nod. “If you’re looking for an earthbending master, I can help you out. I’m just not sure what type of master you’re looking for, so tell me what you need.”

Leiso walked away with a frown, muttering something about dust.

“We’re with the White Lotus. We’re looking for an additional earthbending master for Avatar Korra. Can you think of anyone you would recommend?” Tonraq asked.

He let out a laugh. “Yeah, I think she’s fine. She’s small but spirits she’s a scary sight!”

“Wait, you’ve seen her?” Tenzin asked, surprise in his voice. 

“Ah, let me guess. You’re not looking for an earthbending master but rather a certain Avatar,” he replied.

“Yes, she was kidnapped by a criminal group called the Red Lotus,” Unalaq said.

“I knew that tattoo meant bad business,” he muttered.

“Wait, what do you mean?” Tenzin asked.

“Well, I saw some really tall girl with that eye tattoo the assassin sent after Avatar Aang had. I walked over to give her a piece of my mind, but that little girl with her yelled at me.” 

“Oh, I liked her!” Leiso said, finally coming back to the hearing range of the conversation. “I’m surprised that you had that experience with her. She has that tattoo, but she was a really kind person. She was super good with the kid, I think her name was Korra.”

“Wait, you mean like Avatar Korra?” Tonraq asked, his heart fluttering at the thought his daughter was okay. 

“Yeah, I guess. She called her Mom, so I just assumed the kid finally saw her as family,” she said with a shrug. “That tall woman was really good with the kid, I heard her reassuring her that she was worthy of love. She and her boyfriend, maybe husband I don’t know, mentioned they were concerned about her seeing them as parents since they adopted her.”

Tonraq felt his heart stop. His daughter was okay...but she was calling someone else her parents. He felt himself starting to spiral down, but forced himself to get it together. “Ah, well at least Avatar Korra is safe,” he said in an oddly formal voice.

He ignored the concerned look Tenzin shot his way. His hands began to slightly shake with the pressing weight of failure he felt crushing him.

Gala let out a laugh. “Man, I thought that kid was joking when she said she was the Avatar, but her fists were on fire and she was hovering a boulder in front of me. That polar bear dog was scary as shit too,” he said with a shudder. “I quickly left her and that woman alone, I have  _ some _ common sense even though I get the shit beat out of me for a living.”

“Well, it’s been a long day,” Unalaq said. “We’ll talk more in the morning for sure. Thank you,” he said, taking the keys from Leiso.

Tonraq numbly followed his brother and Tenzin to their room. He sat on the bed, everything feeling fuzzy and out of focus.

He flinched at the hand that landed on his shoulder. “Are you okay?” Tenzin asked, looking at him with concern.

“She...she called someone else Mom. She called someone else Dad. No, I’m not fucking okay!” He sighed at the concerned look his brother gave him. “I...I need to go to bed. I can’t process this.”

“We’re here when you’re ready to talk,” Unalaq said. 

Tonraq nodded before closing his eyes, the intense stress of the day immediately pulling him to sleep. He couldn’t comprehend all that happened, he just needed sleep. Everything would make sense in the morning, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P'Li is SOFT and I will die on this hill. She is assassin, but she's also baby!! (also definitely not going to have Korra call Ming-Hua Auntie because typing out her full name can be tiring at times, definitely not) I'm having trouble writing out Tonraq's reaction. I feel like he would just shut down at first, so I tried to show that the best way I could! I may tie Unalaq in later, but I'm not sure yet.
> 
> Here's the plan: Korra will most likely learn combustionbending. She'll learn healing, but at a later stage. I don't think she'll learn lavabending or bloodbending, they don't seem to fit her character. As the story progresses, that may change we'll see. I'm not sure how I'll tie in Unalaq again. I think I may have her come to terms with his "betrayal" and go with him either in S2 or maybe prior to that. I'm not sure and I really want to hear what y'all have to say about Unalaq. I feel kind of stuck with his character in this story so far. 
> 
> Tell me what y'all want next! I'm loving the way this is coming along and I really love hearing from y'all. Much love babes <3
> 
> Instagram: @bidisastervibes  
> Twitter: @bidisastervibes


	9. The Fire Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Red Lotus fam stop for the night to rest after a few days of constant travel. P'Li and Korra train with some firebending, then she practices meditation with her father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY FOR A LACK OF UPDATES!! We lost power a lot these past few days (yay winter storm) and I hit a creative slump. I'm not going to commit to weekly updates for a while yet. I typically write these chapters a few minutes before I post them, and I want to try writing more ahead of time. Once I have a larger chunk written, I'll go back to scheduled updates. 
> 
> I am also going to start a series of one shots, so y'all may see Red Lotus content there! It won't necessarily be related to this fic, but it'll still feature our favorite criminals <3

Korra let out a frustrated groan as she hopped off the ostrich horse. “I’m tired of traveling on these,” she complained. “My butt hurts.”

P’Li let out a laugh. “I’m sorry sweetie, but thankfully we should only have a few days left. We should arrive at Misty Palms Oasis in about three days max.”

“I agree with her, these ostrich horses may be better than walking but  _ fuck _ my ass is sore,” Ghazan complained.

“Stop being a bad influence!” Ming-Hua said, smacking him upside the head with her water.

“Okay, I’m not as bad as you are,” he retorted, towering over her.

She looked up at him with a glare. “Shut the fuck up.”

Zaheer looked at the two unamused. “Okay, the tension is strong and we get it, you two like each other. Just...please stop fighting like children,” he said dryly.

The two quickly broke eye contact, faces flushed red. They turned away from each other, just silently grabbing their bags.

“Babe, that was mean,” P’Li said, leaning down to put her head on top of his.

“They needed the push. They’ve been pining after each other for years,” he replied.

Korra walked over to her parents. “Dad, can we try training?” she asked. 

He smiled, looking down at her. “Let’s set up camp for the night and then we can train. We need your help to set up, no one is as strong as you are,” he said, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.

She beamed at him. “Okay!” Korra said, running off to get firewood. After collecting a decently sized stack of wood, she walked back to the cave where they had decided to make camp for the night. She placed the pile of wood outside the mouth of the cave.

“Hey Mommy, I got the wood,” she said proudly.

P’Li looked up with a wide smile. “I’m so proud of you, my little dragon,” she said, pressing a kiss to her hair. She knew the White Lotus had destroyed her daughter’s confidence, and she’d be damned if she didn’t do her best to help rebuild it.

“Come on, let’s start the fire,” she said with a smile. The two walked out of the cave and over to the pile of wood. “Now, I know you can firebend. I know you’re going to train with your dad, but let’s try a bit of firebending first.”

P’Li arranged the wood into the correct formation. “So with firebending, I want you to start this fire with a medium flame. Using your bending, I want you to grow and shrink the fire okay?”

Korra gave an enthusiastic nod and closed her eyes, focusing on the fire that raged within her. She opened her palm, gently setting the decently sized flame on the wood, the tinder quickly catching fire. 

P’Li watched with pride as the flame rapidly grew. “Good job. Now, let’s try controlling the fire.” Korra nodded, focusing on the fire in front of her. 

  
  


She reached within herself, feeling the familiar flame that constantly burned within her soul. To Korra, it felt like all of the elements were an extension of her soul. She could easily locate the familiar power and fluidity of water, the stability of earth, and the bright spark for fire. It was hard for her to locate the freedom of air, the power whipping through her veins. 

She focused on the spark of fire, commanding the flame within her to grow along with the flame. To her joy, the fire surged to a great height of six feet, nearly reaching the top of her mom’s head. She lowered the flame to a low simmer before letting the fire resume to its natural height.

“You did so well little dragon!” P’Li said excitedly, engulfing Korra in a hug. 

Korra looked at her with a smile. “Thanks Mommy,” she said, suddenly looking down nervously. P’Li remained silent, knowing Korra got insecure at times and didn’t want to push her. “Can...can you keep calling me dragon? It just makes me feel all warm and safe.”

She smiled. “Of course I will. I love you my little dragon,” she said, picking Korra up. The girl leaned into her arms as she walked over to the cave.

Zaheer looked at them with a smile. “Alright, we have some food left from Omashu so we don’t have to cook tonight. Do you want to try and train after we eat Korra?”

“Yeah!” she said excitedly. “I did some training with Mom and I made the flames huge!”

“I’m proud of you kiddo,” he said softly, heart warming as he saw the giant grin Korra gave at the praise. 

“Here you go,” Ghazan said, handing Korra a rock plate with her food on it.

“Thanks Uncle!” she said excitedly, Ghazan smiling at the word. They all began eating, quietly talking about the day and Korra’s big leaps in firebending.

After they finished eating, Zaheer walked to the mouth of the cave, Korra following him.

He sat down on the ground, Korra ploping down next to him.

“Alright, so do you know about the meditation pose?” he asked, folding his legs into position.

Korra nodded enthusiastically, mimicking his movements. “Yeah! Aang taught me about it.”

“That’s good. Now, close your eyes and focus on your breath. Breathe in and out, feeling the air move. You want to meditate and feel the connection between you and the universe,” he said, closing his eyes.

Korra closed her eyes, trying to focus. After a few minutes, she opened an eye. She just couldn’t focus anymore.

“I can tell you’re not concentrating Korra,” Zaheer said from beside her.

“How? Your eyes are closed!” Korra replied.

“You just told me,” he said dryly.

“No fair,” she pouted.

Zaheer smiled. “It’s okay. Let’s try again and then we can be done for tonight.” 

After about ten more minutes of meditation, Zaheer opened his eyes and laced his fingers through Korra’s, holding her hand as they walked back to the cave. 

“Meditation is really hard Korra, don’t be mad at yourself for not getting it. You may not be good at meditation yet, but you’re still really talented,” he said softly.

Korra bent a pillar of earth underneath her until she came up to his chest. “Thank you Daddy,” she said, wrapping him in a hug.

He smiled and held her tightly. “Of course my dear. You deserve to hear how amazing you are everyday.”

The other Red Lotus members watched the tender scene with soft smiles, feeling their family bond grow even more. Every soft interaction made them love each other even more, the silent promise to remain together no matter what growing stronger everyday. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene between Korra and Zaheer was inspired by @tinykumaru on Instagram and their Red Lotus Korra art! Go check her out, she's so talented!!
> 
> Mama P'Li and Papa Zaheer are SOFT. Zaheer was also tired of those two pining after each other and said "fuck it, I'm going to force you to realize your feelings" and who knows what will happen next 
> 
> I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter <3
> 
> Instagram: @bidisastervibes  
> Twitter: @bidisastervibes

**Author's Note:**

> P'Li is not so secretly a loving mama bear and Zaheer loves her for it. If y'all have any suggestions or ideas, please comment!


End file.
